Improvement in car-trucks



3 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. HAMBEUOH.

Car-Truck. No. 216,792. Patented June 24,1879.

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Car-Truck Patented June 24,1879.

WW fiW/w ww g ww N PETERS. PHOTD-WUTHDGRAPNER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

GUSTAV HAMBRUOH, OF BERLIN, PRUSSIA, GERMANY.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAR-TRUCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 216,792. dated June 24,1879; application filed March 5, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUSTAV HAM'BRUCH, of Berlin, in the Kingdom ofPrussia and Empire of Germany, engineer, have in vented certain new anduseful Improvements in the Means of Supporting and Operating the Wheelsof Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

1 pivot each of the short axles at a point near the side of the car, andconnect two or more of the short axles, so that they are compelled tomake corresponding swiveling movements.

The pivots may be placed either close to the wheels, or inside oroutside of the same, or in or over the center of the wheel According tomy invention I mount each wheel of a pair on a divided or short axle,

each of such axles being supported in a suitable bearing or frame at ornear the side of the vehicle, while the inner end of each axle or theframe supporting it is controlled by a suitable guide or slide attachedto or carried by the under frame or body of the vehicle.

The inner ends of the axles or the frames supporting them are connectedto a T-shaped lever operated either by the coupling or buffin gapparatus in the case of steam-cars, or the tongue or draft apparatus inhorse cars or road-vehicles.

In some cases the front and rear axles or other supporting-frames arecoupled together by rods crossing each other, so that each acts on thereverse side of the vehicle at the two ends.

The following is a description of what I consider the best means ofcarrying out the invention in several forms.

The accompanying drawings form a part of this specification.

Figure 1 is an under-side view of the under carriage or framing of arailroad-car and part of a second with my improvements applied theretoas adapted for use on steam-railroads.

Fig. 2 represents a side view, partly in sec-- applied thereto. Fig. 9is a vertical section of Fig.8.

In each of these views similar letters of ref.- erence are employed toindicate corresponding parts wherever they occur.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, .A A represent the under part or floor of arailroad-car adapted for steam trafiic. The Wheels B are mounted onshort axles b, each axle being supported in bearings b in a frame, 13,which is supported in segmental bearings A ,afiixed to the under side ofthe platform A.

The frames B and axles b are controlled in position by the inner ends orarms of the frames B being held with capability of sliding forward andback ward in horizontal guides or slides A affixed to the under side ofthe platform A.

The inner ends of the frames B supporting the axles b, are connected byrods D to the lateral arms 0 of a three-armed lever, E, a third arm, a,of which is provided with a wide bearing piece or segment, receivedbetween and controlled by the arms f of a fork-shaped buifer, which ispivoted to the draw-bar F, as shown.

In this arrangement the front wheels of one car and the rear wheels ofthe next are connected together, so as to control the swiveling of eachby the other.

The cars are connected or coupled together by drop-hooks Gr, one ofwhich is permanently hinged to each end of a car on opposite sides ofthe center or draw bar F, so that they shall. always match, asrepresented by Fig. 1, when two cars are brought together.

The draw-bars are operated by'peculiarlyhinged rods G G Thccentral part,G of each rod is supported in bearings in the buffer. The endextensions, G turn in hearings or supports A The rods Gr extend to bothsides of the vehicle, in order to avoid the necessity of a man goingbetween the vehicles in order to couple or uncouple the same.

I11 this arrangement the forked buffers, by their swinging or lateralmovement, act on the threearmed levers E, to swing or swivel them in theopposite direction. They connect the wheels at the front of one car tothe wheels at the rear of the other car when coupled together, andcompel an opposite swiveling motion, the same as if they were coupled bycrossed rods, as will appear farther on.

It will now be seen that the turning-points of the axles being placed inthe center line of the wheels allows each wheel, together with the shortaxle, which is revolving; in two bearings, to turn round its verticalaxis without changing the place of the center of the wheel. Each wheelplays inside of a frame, to which are attached the springs, the guides,and the axle-box. The frame is attached to the car in such way that itmay turn or swivel. The tail-pieces B steady the position of the wheels.The draw-bar F runs along the whole car, and is fitted in the middlewith an elastic buffer. On each end a buffer is arranged in the form ofa fork, which is carried through a slot in the end frame, and which ispivotally connected by a hinge, g, with the draw-bar.

Between the forks of the buffer a hook, Gr, moves in a vertical plane,and can be operated by means of the rods G G which reach the sides ofthe car, and are connected in a yielding manner with the hook Gr.

After the cars are pushed together, touching each other with thebuffers, the hooks of both cars are turned downward, each being hookedupon the opposite shaft, G, so that the coupling is a double one. Thehooks are arranged always to the right of the center line of the car.The buffers place themselves as the cars come together, as shown.

Between the forks of each buffer is put the T-lever E, the arms 0 ofwhich are connected by two rods, D, with the tails B of the frame B. Inconsequence of this connection, the axles of the wheels are placedalways radial to the circle which the cars describe, and to which thebulfer or draw-hook center line is a tangent.

The hind axle of the front car sets, therefore, the front axle of thefollowing car by the tension of the draw-hooks, and in case of a pushingof the train, the hind axle of the pushed car sets the front axle of thedrawing car by the pressure of the forked bufier-rods.

As one pair of axles is not cbnnected with a second one of the same car,but always with the axle of the car adjacent, the distance between theaxles of the same car may be made very wide, notwithstanding they canpass the smallest curves.

The coupling of the cars is very simple. The cars approach each otherwith raised drawhooks G. The contact of the buffers sets themselves andthe axles right. The draw-hooks G are then lowered by turning the rodsGr -Gr and the coupling is done. Extra tightening up is not necessary,as the elastic apparatus of the draw-bar serves as a tightener.

Referring to Figs. 3 to 7, the frames B are dispensed with, and eachshort axle b is supported at its outer end in a bearing, 1), pivoted ina stout j aw, A, between suitable springs h. The axles are similar tothose above described, short, and a single one for each wheel.

The vertical axis of the turning motion is former to one side will turnnot only the T lever E but will also set the axles in a radial position.In cases where a pole is used it isattached to the T-lever E in asimilar manner,

so as to produce the just-mentioned effect of setting the axles.

The drawing represents a car, which may run on rails curved withseven-yard radius without a slipping of the outside wheels on the railsor the tendency of the wagon to keep the straight line. I

The inner terminations of the axles revolve in boxes slidingin guides Aarranged on the under side of the car-body.

D D are the rods connecting the axles b with the arms 00f thethree-armed levers E, the arms 6 of which, in place of being providedwith the bearing-pieces 0 (shown in Fig. 1,) are provided with means forattaching a tongue and whiffletrees.

1 I are cross-links, connecting the forward right with the rear left,and forward left and rear right, short axles b, one with the other, soas to insure simultaneous action in turning curves, as well as at othertimes. These crosslinks I I connect the axles of the same car in thesame manner as the double buffers F in the previous arrangementconnected the axles of different cars. A

In the present case the front and rear axle of the same car connect,while in the previous case the front and rear axles of adjacent cars areconnected.

The advantages of this system of horse-cars are, substantially, first,the possibility to run them in curves of small radius; second, thegreater duration of the rails and wheelrims, no slipping frictionexisting in the curves of the road; third, the gain in drawing-power.

For common roads, referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the construction andarrangement of parts are also analogous to those shown in the otherfigures.

Each of the short axles b is pivoted to the .frame A, between its wheelB and the center of the vehicle.

Over each of the divided axles a cross-beam is arranged, in the ends ofwhich the axles b are pivoted. The flat inner ends of these axles slidebetween guides fastened to the under,

side of the cross-beam. A perch connecting the front and the hindcross-beams, and pro truding on both ends of the wagon, supports 011each termination a three-armed or T lever, E. The branches 0 areconnected crosswise with the ends I) ofthe nearest pair of axles bymeans of connecting rods, and as well the ends of the two front and thetwo hind axles.

connected in a moment and refastened intov the other T-lever on theother end of the wagon when required. The attachment of the pole to themiddle arm of the lever E is rigid, so that its horizontahoscillationcauses a similar oscillating motion of the three'armcd lever, and, bymeans of the connecting-rods, a setting or regulating of all the axles.If the pole is turned to one side for changing the direction of thewagon, all the axles are set into a radial position, so that the centerof the wagon describes a circle to which the pole is found to be a tangent.

For the purpose of allowing the wagon to run on uneven roads, one pairof the axles is made to tilt in the vertical plane by connecting it tothe cross-beam by a bolta second one, which is fixed on the wagon-body,swinging with this cross-beam round the bolt, so the axles may turn in avertical plane. The purchase with which the horses act upon the axles inmoving the pole is a great one, 30:1, while in the nowused wagons it isonly 4:1. It is, therefore, a very difiicult task for the horses with aheavy load on a commonly-built wagon and on uneven roads to turn thepole into the required direction. Besides, the vibrating to and fro ofthe pole on rugged ground is for the horses an inconvenient-nay,dangerous-motion.

The above-described construction removes this nuisance.

A further advantage of this construction for street-wagons is the radialsetting of all axles. The hind wheels will keep exactly the track of thefront wheels, while the hind part of streetwagons of the common styleruns inside of the curve which is described by the front wheels.

An essential merit of such wagons is the complete symmetry of theirfront and hind parts. Therefore the pole can be used on both parts,which is eifeeted by the mere removing of a single bolt. This propertyis of great importance in narrow streets, in gateways, yards, and otherplaces where the turning of the wagon is impossible, or, at least,difiicult. Even with great traffic on a street this construction willprove very advantageous in case that the wagons should be stuck orstalled.

'It maybe remarked that the front wheels are as great as the hindwheels, and that their diameter is the same as that of the now existinghind wheels, by which means the traction power is diminished a greatdeal. The body 'of such carriages is more simple than that of the nowused ones, as it is not necessary that the front wheels underrun thebody, which can be constructed without a gab.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a vehicle, the combination, with wheelsmounted each on an independent axle capable of being swiveled, of aswinging tongue or coupling turning on apivot on the under side of thevehicleframe at each end, and connections arranged, substantially asdescribed, to impart to the pair of wheels nearest each tongue orcoupling a rotation in a horizontal plane in the same direction thereasby the swiveling on its pivot of said tongue or coupling, substantiallyas set forth. 2. The combination of the draw-bar and connected springwith the swiveling bufler and a separate lever having connections to theshort axles or axle-frames, the parts being so arranged that theswiveling movement iniparted to the axles shall be controlled by thebuffer, while the latter is allowed to move forward or be thrust inward,as herein specified.

This specification signed by me this 7th day of December, 1878.

GUSTAV HA MBRUG'H.

Witnesses CARL '1. BURRHARD, BERTHOLD R01.

